Bottle-closure.



J. A. & J. BUTKUS. BOTTLE CLOSURE. APPLICATION FILED IBB. 25, 1909.

Patented Sept. 28, 1909.

we?? m f "UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. BUTKUS, or BALTIMORE,

MARYLAND, AND JOSEPH BUTKUS, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS 0F ONE-THIRD T0 GEORGE IIREEWIN, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

` BOTTLE-CLOSURE.

'Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented sept.v as, 1909.

Application mea :February 25, 190s. serial no. 480,010.

To all fwkom 't may consent.' i

Be 1t known that we, JOHN A. BUTIIUS and JOSEPH BUTKUs, citizens of the United States, and residing, respectively, at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland,v and at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illlnois, have invented certain new and, useful Improvements in Bottle-Closures, of-

which the following tion.

This invention yrelates to improvements in bottle closures and more particularly to a metallic closure having a sealing medium therein adapted to be compressed squarely is a complete specificaj upon the neck of the bottle.

Heretofore in devices of this 'class a great deal of diliiculty has been encountered by reason of the sealing medium being 4cut by and slipping off from the top of the `bottle when the closure is being secured in place,

^ and thereby permitting a1r and gases to pass 'tions s o the closure and destroy the contents of the bottle. It has also been found that metallic closures as heretofore constructed are easily forced oill by the pressure of the gases from within the bottle. This is especially true where cases of bottles have been stacked up with each case resting on Ithetops of the bottles in the next lower case, which tends to to such an extent thatv the locking flanges are easily forced out of their seats.

The main objects of this invention arel to provide an improved bottle closurehaving ayielding sealing medium therein adapted to seat upon the mouth of the bottle, and which is so constructed that't is compressed both vertically and laterally in two direcas to effectually Vclose its pores.

It is also an object of thisinvention to provide a bottle closure adapted to hold the 'sealing medium squarely upon the neck of the bottley and prevent its slipping or rolling ofi' when pressure is applied tothe closure to secure yit in place, and which will fill all of the niches or notches which may have been formed in thevbottle mouth.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bottle closure so constructed that the pressure of `gases from within the bottle -will tend to -tighten the grip on the sealing medium, and so constructed that weight on the top thereof will tend to tighten the closure on the bottle instead of loosen it.

A specic construction embodying this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical section of a bottle provided with a closure embodying this invention, and a bottle sealing tool -in the act of securing the closure on the bottle. Fig. 2 is anlenlarged, side elevation of the closure. Fig. 3 is a central section of the same. Fig. 4 is a view'similar to Fig. 3 but showing the bottom of the cup depression arched under the influence of the gas pressure; Fig. 5 is a central section of a modified form of the device. Fi 6 is a similar view showing the closure 1n place. v

As shown in said drawings,` referring rst v to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusiveyan aluminum closure is provided in which 1 indicatesthe outer wall of an inverted annular channel or seat f 2 for the annular sealing medium 3` of cork or the like. The inner wall of said seat is formed by the cup shaped depression L1, the bottom 5 of which'is depressed or concaved, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The top 6 of said seat is curved transversely and slants from its inner corner 7 downwardly and Outwardly, so that said inner corner is the highest oint on the closure.

Exten ng downwardly from the bottom of the wall 1 is the crimped locking flange 8 adapted to be locked in the groove 9 in the Outer sideofthe bottle neck 10 and near the top thereof. Said cup shaped depression 4 l is of such diameter that its lower corner 11 contacts with the throat 12 of the bottle when the closure is in place, as shownin Fig. 1, and prevents the sealing medium from slipping downwardlytherepast into the bott e.

the closure into place, a split expanding cylinder 14 adapted -to fit within the cup 4 and expand the saine into contact with the bottle throat, and a crimping cylinder adapted to fit over the flange 8 and force it into the groove 9. v

Both the internal and the external dimensions of the necks of a given size of bottles vary in size, and it ofttimes happens with the closures as heretofore constructed that there is not enough metal in the locking vflange to enter the groove 9 a suflicient distance to secure the closure properly in place. This dilliculty is obviated by this invention, by means of the curvature of the top 6 of the channel which permits the metal to yield slightly either inwardly or outwardly, y so that should there not be enough metal in ther locking flange to enter the locking groove 9, it will be drawn over by the crimping cylinder, thereby reducing the curvature on the' top of the channel, or should there be too much metalhit` yill yield inwardly under the influence ofthe; expanding cylinder. Likewise if thethrfat 12 of the bottle varies in size the concaved bottom of the cup will yield and permit the corner 11 of the depression to be spread into contact with the throat' of the bottle, or to be contracted to enter said throat. The sealing medium 3 is compressed laterally both inwardly and out-` wardly by the sides 1 and 4 of the channel, and downwardly by the top 6 of t'he' channel, and is held squarely upon the mouth of the bottle.

The force of the gases on the depressed bot-tom 5 tends to straighten it and as a consequence the corner 11 is forced more tightly against the bottle throat. If the pressure should be suflicient to reverse the curvature of .said bottom, as shown in Fig. '3, it will only tend to throw the top of the channel outwardly and thereby force the locking y flange more firmly into its seat.

dium is constructed in the form of a disk 17 which extends across the entire inner surface of the cap. The channel 18 has the same general contour as the channel 2 but is not as deep and is broader at its mouth so that the cup depression 19 does not contact with the throat of the bottle, and the bottom 20 0f the depression is straight. In this construction when the closure is forced into the bottle the outer wall of the channel, which inclines or curves inwardly and upwardly at its top, first engages the edge of the disk and 'draws it over the top of the bottle, as shown at 21 in Fig. 6, and then the corner 22 of the cup depression forces the disk slightly into the throat of the bottle and binds it securely thereagainst. The outer edge of the disk is thereby forced into the channel and is prevented from rolling or slipping olf from the mouth of the bottle.

In either of the constructions shown the high corner 7 of the channel will receive the weight of cases of bottles piled thereon, andl if the metal yields the cup depression will be forced farther into the bottle and the locking flange will 'be drawn tighter against the bottle, while the metalin ythe top of the channel will be drawn inwardly.

Obviously a bottle closure constructed in accordance with this invention is adapted to prevent the sealing medium from slipping off the mouth of the bottle and to firmly compress the medium simultaneously from both sides and downwardly, so that its pores are entirely closed and any chipped or v notched places in the mouth of the bottle are entirely lled, obviously also many details of form and construction may be varied Without departing from the principles of this invention..

We claim as our invention:l

l. A bottle closure comprising an external i locking flange, and an internal cup depression having its side wall extending above thefupper edge of the flange, and a sealing medium held therebetween. t 2. A bottle closure comprising a sealing medium, a channel therefor having inner and outer walls adapted to compress said sealing medium laterally in opposite directions, and a transversely curved, downwardly and laterally inclined top adapted to compress the sealing medium downwardly, and a crimped locking 4flange extending downwardly from the outer wall.

3. A bottle closure comprising anu inverted .channel downwardly and laterally slanting top, a sealing medium therein, a locking flange extending downwardly from the outer wall, and means connected with the inner wall adapted to force the lower margin against the throat of the bottle.

4. A bottle closure comprising a sealing medium, means adapted to compress said medium laterally in opposite directions and.

vertically, a locking flange on 'said .means adapted to lock to the outer surface of the bottle neck and means adapted to tighten the grip of the flange on the bottle when weight is applied to the closure.

5. Abottle closure comprising a cup adapted'to enter the mouth of a bottle, a channel on the outer side thereof Ahaving a doWnlocking flange extending downwardly from the outer side of said channel.

6. A bottle closure comprising an annular channel having the inner` side thereof higher than the outer side, a locking flange extendingdownwardly from the outer side of said channel, a seali medium adapted to be compressed in sald channel, and a bottom member connected to 4the lower edge of the inner Wall of said channel.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto subscribed our names in the presence of witnesses.

' JOHN A. BUTKUS. JOSEPH BUTKUS.

Witnesses: v

JAMES J. JOHNSTON, UTTO BENNER, W. W'. WITHENBURY, ROBERT l/VEINBERG. 

